1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to transfer of authorization rights to access a file from a source to one or multiple destinations, and more specifically relates to cascading transfer of authorization rights on a remote basis.
2. Related Art
In an instant messaging (IM) network, file transfer functionality is incorporated such that a user may use an IM client to capture and transfer a file via the IM network to a recipient IM user. On receipt of a file, the client of the recipient IM user displays a graphic indicator to notify the recipient that the sender has initiated a file transfer. Transfer of the file is initiated when the recipient accesses the graphic indicator.
Typically, the file to be transferred is located on the machine of the sender or a server, for example, IBM's SameTime supports the former approach while Yahoo's Messenger supports the latter. Currently available technology provides for immediate transfer or delayed transfer of the file, up to 48 hours between active parties in the same IM session. Parties outside of the IM session do not have access to the file and there is no forwarding mechanism to facilitate access to the transferred file by non-current IM parties.
Accordingly, a need exists for way to disseminate authority to secondary, tertiary or subsequent parties/recipients of an IM session for access to a transferred file.